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# Analysis: Familiar Face Stands Out as Seahawks’ Best Option to Upgrade O-Line at Trade Deadline
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-seahawks-familiar-face-cesar-ruiz-best-option-upgrade-offensive-line/
- Published: 2025-10-30T23:22:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:17:32.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Cesar Ruiz, NFL Trade Deadline, Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3209"\]

![  New Orleans Saints guard Cesar Ruiz (51) plays against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_17227411-format-original-2.jpg)

New Orleans Saints guard Cesar Ruiz (51) plays against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images \[/caption\]

RENTON, Wash. - Returning from a much-needed bye week with a Sunday night road matchup against the Washington Commanders approaching, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald wasn’t interested in pouring any gasoline on the flames when asked about potential changes on tap along the offensive line.

Prior to the start of Wednesday’s practice, on the heels of the news second-year guard Christian Haynes would return to practice and open his 21-day window for activation coming off a lengthy injured reserve stint, Macdonald shot down the possibility of the former third round pick pushing starter Anthony Bradford for playing time on the right side, indicating that opportunity had come and gone back in August during training camp and the preseason.

“He put himself in a position to compete at guard,” Macdonald said. “Anthony \[Bradford\] and Grey (\[Zabel\] won those competitions. That's how we'll come back coming off being injured. He'll be in a backup role, and he’ll continuously compete for playing time.”

Reaffirming his thoughts two days after telling reporters there would not be any changes on the offensive line at the present time, Macdonald couldn’t have been more clear stating that, at least internally, the Seahawks won’t be messing with continuity altering a starting lineup that has been the same for all seven games thus far. Bradford will be in the lineup in Landover alongside the same cast of characters looking to protect Sam Bradford and open up holes for Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

But while Macdonald’s comments on Haynes’ standing as a backup seemed to express confidence in Bradford as the starting right guard right now, both he and general manager John Schneider may feel differently regarding the possibility of acquiring an upgrade from outside the organization before the November 4 deadline. Sporting a wry grin when asked if he thought the team could make a move, Seattle’s second-year coach stuck with the company line, acknowledging the franchise always has eyes on ways to improve the roster, including in the lead up to the deadline as evidenced by dealing for linebacker Ernest Jones last October.

“We’re always active. You know how John \[Schneider\] rolls, we’re in everything,” Macdonald responded. “We’re constantly trying to do what’s best for us. Sometimes that’s through acquisition.”

As is always the case this time of year, there’s no shortage of speculation and rumors regarding players who may or may not be changing zip codes. In the case of the Seahawks, much of that speculation has revolved around the aforementioned right guard spot, with names such as Titans veteran Kevin Zeitler and Browns veteran Wyatt Teller being linked to the team as possible targets.

While either one of those players north of 30 years old could be quality additions without having to give up much draft capital, however, a more intriguing alternative with higher upside and prior ties to coordinator Klint Kubiak as well as line coach John Benton could be available for Seattle to pursue in New Orleans in former first round pick Cesar Ruiz.

For those who subscribe to subjective PFF grades as the gospel, the 26-year old Ruiz likely won’t be viewed as a notable upgrade over the struggling Bradford. In fact, some may even assess trading a draft pick or multiple picks for him as a lateral move at best, if not a step backward, as he only has posted one season previously with better than a 60.0 overall blocking grade and has allowed at least 27 pressures in three of his previous five seasons, similar numbers to Bradford’s 28 allowed pressures each of his first two years in the league.

From an athleticism standpoint, surprisingly, Bradford posted a higher Relative Athletic Score coming out of LSU in 2023 than Ruiz did following a heralded career at Michigan, registering similar testing numbers across the board while weighing 30 pounds more than his peer. Some may point to those similarities and question if Ruiz indeed offers a better schematic fit for Kubiak’s zone-centric scheme.

But PFF grades and athletic testing numbers don’t make quality football players by themselves and context matters when comparing players for trade consideration purposes. Statistically, even if PFF has not viewed Ruiz in a favorable light grade-wise, his raw stats have been significantly better than Bradford over the course of their respective careers, starting with substantial performance-based differences protecting the quarterback in the pass blocking department.

Dating back to his rookie season in 2020, Ruiz has posted a 97.6% career Pass Block Efficiency rate, including finishing in the top 10 among qualified guards in that metric in 2022 (98.3%) and 2024 (98.4%). In comparison, Bradford has ranked among the league’s worst in each of his three seasons, including finishing 74th out of 80 qualified guards last year (95.1%) and 62nd out of 82 guards in 2023 (96.3%) as a rookie. So far this year, Ruiz ranks 11th out of 57 guards (97.8%) and Bradford sits near the bottom again at 54th overall (95.5%).

Even from a raw pressures and sacks standpoint, Ruiz has been substantially better than Bradford, allowing just two total sacks since the start of the 2024 season while Bradford has yielded nine of them. In the pressures department, Ruiz has given up 24 combined pressures on his last 770 pass blocking snaps and Bradford has allowed a whopping 45 on 617 pass blocking snaps. When it comes to keeping quarterbacks upright and providing ample time in the pocket, the two players haven’t been in the same stratosphere.

As for run blocking, there isn’t much tangible data to work with. With that said, per Sports Info Solutions charting, Ruiz has posted blown block rates of 2.0% and 2.9% each of the past two seasons, while Bradford has been significantly worse this season with a dreadful 4.8% blown block rate. In the PFF grade department, Bradford actually has a higher zone blocking score (55.0) than Ruiz (51.1) this year, but Ruiz had the best year of his career by a wide margin in that category playing for Kubiak and Benton last year at 70.5, demonstrating the light feet and quickness needed to thrive in a wide zone offense.

Now in his sixth season, Ruiz doesn’t come without his warts. He has finished half of his seasons allowing 27 or more pressures in pass protection, while run blocking has been inconsistent for him playing in multiple schemes. In many ways, he hasn’t quite lived up to his first round billing, as he hasn’t been on the cusp of All Pro or Pro Bowl consideration. If he had reached that level of play, the Saints likely wouldn’t be open to the idea of moving him even during the midst of a challenging 1-7 season.

Acquisition cost also stands out as a factor that could make trading for Ruiz less desirable for the Seahawks. Speaking with multiple sources with ties to the Saints, general manager Mickey Loomis will ask for a third round pick and a Day 3 selection or a similar package to move a young guard who still has room for development and remains under contract through 2027\. That may be too expensive for Schneider to pull the trigger on a player who has yet to fulfill his promise, especially if the front office remains optimistic Bradford or Haynes can still be a long-term option without trading away key assets.

But if Seattle is willing to consider parting ways with a late Day 2 pick or throw in a veteran player with a Day 3 selection to create comparable compensation, there’s no question Ruiz would help elevate an improving offensive line in the present and the future, something Zeitler and Teller could not. Under club control with reasonable cap hits and in the prime of his career, his natural movement skills and athleticism have already been proven to play well in Kubiak’s scheme and linking him back up with Benton as Bradford’s successor could be the key to finally unlocking his potential as a building block for the group for the foreseeable future.